


Dog Therapy

by Razra_Eizel (Eleana_Lee)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Auror Draco Malfoy, Cabin Fic, Dogs, Fluff, H/D Pet Fair 2016, Humor, M/M, Post-Hogwarts, Recluse Harry Potter, Romance, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-15 15:39:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8062042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eleana_Lee/pseuds/Razra_Eizel
Summary: Draco was sent to bring Harry back to Wizarding London, and failed completely.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This has been a pleasure to write. The prompt catches my eyes the moment I saw it, and I knew then that I wanted to write it. Sorry for the crappy title and summary, I’m not good at it =(
> 
> For [Prompt #114](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Td1Xj4ZNIqFDdQLtMpkOWEqn2hI5TEx8tEtrEU1u1U8/edit).

“You do realise there is a higher chance of him murdering me than coming along peacefully?” Draco asked as he glared at Kingsley, his arms crossed in front of his chest and shoulders hunched. “And why am I the one going, not one of the Golden Trio?”

“As dramatic as ever, I see,” Kingsley said as he huffed. “They already tried, with not much success. Maybe seeing a familiar face that used to incite such passionate reactions from him would help in our cause.”

Draco scoffed. “You speak as if we were characters in a trashy novel.”

Kingsley shrugged. “It might do you good to visit him too. I heard Muggles have this thing called dog therapy or something.”

“Dogs?”

“They’re like Crups, only non-magical,” Kingsley explained. “He adopted a litter of pups from an elderly lady who couldn’t take care of them all and didn’t know anyone who would take them in. I heard they look a bit like wolves, too.”

“Pups? Wolves?”

“Anyway,” Kingsley said, “just give it a try. You might like it, who knows. Even if you two are at each other’s throats, maybe the dogs will do you good too.”

“Did they do him any good?” Draco asked as he rolled his eyes. “I don’t think so.”

“Well, it’s your current mission, so you can take your time,” Kingsley said with fake cheerfulness. “Good luck, Auror Malfoy. I expect good news only.”

“Screw you, Shacklebolt.”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Draco grumbled all the way to the mountain cabin from the nearest Apparition point. He couldn’t believe Kingsley would abuse his power as the Head Auror to send him off on such a ridiculous mission, but knowing Kingsley, he probably should’ve known he would pull something like this.

“Passionate reactions, my arse,” Draco grumbled as he cast another warming charm on himself and trudged across the snowy path. From the distance, he could see the lone cabin, and he couldn’t believe anyone would willingly live by himself in such a small space.

Of course, the inside could be bigger (magic, duh), but still. Living there with only a pack of puppies seemed a bit extreme, even for Potter.

The cabin was warded; Potter wasn’t stupid, after all, and the radius of the ward was quite big. He assumed it was for the non-magical Crups to run around freely in, or for added protection so in the rare case that the ward was breached, Potter would still have enough time to prepare himself for a fight before the enemy reached the cabin.

The surprising thing was the fact that the ward didn’t repel him. It gave under his touch, and the simmering magic crumbled away like a house of cards, granting him passage. The moment he was through, the magic crackled back to life behind him.

“Maybe he only wards against creatures,” Draco mused. “But why wouldn’t he ward against other wizards? There are still dark wizards around. Maybe he’s not as smart as I thought.”

Draco walked slowly towards the cabin as he let his mind wander. He had signed up to be an Auror after finishing school, but he didn’t really expect to be accepted. Kingsley had put a lot at risk by accepting him and allowing him to go solo, instead of partnered with anyone. He was grateful, and on dangerous missions, Kingsley himself would go with him, but on days like this, he couldn’t help but wish bad luck on the Head Auror.

“Draco, come back!”

Draco paused mid-step and nearly slipped, although he managed to right himself with as much grace as he could muster. How did Potter know he was there? When did they start to be on first name basis with each other?

He realised then that Potter had said “come back”, not “go back”. Where was he supposed to come back to?

His train of thought was interrupted as a small ball of fur tackled into his knees and he fell down on his bottom with a (very manly and dignified) yelp.

The ball of fur turned out to be a small creature, its fur white with blondish coat markings. It looked up at him with wide blue eyes, and then it jumped up and tackled him again, pushing him onto his back.

Draco assumed then that this must be what Kingsley referred to as ‘pup’, although he didn’t know why he mentioned dog therapy instead of pup therapy in that case. Were they the same creature, just different names?

“Draco!”

Potter rounded the corner from the back of the cabin, and did a double take. He walked over at a more sedate pace, and looked down at Draco with a raised brow.

“Fancy seeing you here, Malfoy.”

“I’d say the same, but you probably know why I’m here.”

Potter looked down at Draco’s Auror robe and sighed. “I suppose,” he said. “Come on, Draco.”

“I—“

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Potter said, and picked up the bundle of fur from Draco’s chest.

“I didn’t think you were,” Draco said as he rolled his eyes. He stood up and dusted off the snow from his robe. “Why did you name him after me?”

“Why not?” Harry asked with a shrug. “I have the whole lot of them, and it… makes it easier to deal with loss, I suppose.”

“Loss?”

“Come,” Potter said as he motioned towards the cabin, Draco the pup still safely in his arms.

The two walked towards the cabin, and while he was still curious about the ward, Draco decided it would be a question for another time. One shocking revelation a day was enough for him.

The inside of the cabin was toasty warm, and there were other pups that looked a lot like Draco the pup, just with different colours of the coat markings.

“Kingsley would have told you how I got them,” Potter said as he set Draco the pup (from here on in would be known as The Pup, in Draco’s head) down with the rest of the pups. “It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement, as they get to stay together, and I get to have the company that I like.”

“What are their names?” Draco wondered.

Potter stared at the pups for a long time, watching them play. Draco looked away from him and watched the pups as well, not wanting the moment to become more awkward than it already was.

“You know Draco,” Potter said finally, motioning at The Pup. “That one is Fred,” he pointed to the one with dark brown coat, “that is Sirius,” he pointed at the most playful pup, “that one is Remus,” the one who always stopped Sirius from straying too far or breaking things, “and that one is Albus,” he pointed at the last pup, the calm one who liked to watch from the side.

“Well, I suppose Dumbledore is too much of a mouthful for a pup,” Draco commented.

Potter chuckled. “You suppose right.”

“Why did you name him after me?” Draco asked. “I’m still…”

“I know,” Potter said, his lips quirked into a wry smile. “I named them after those I thought I would never see again. In hindsight, I probably should have named him Snape, but he wasn’t dark and broody enough.”

Draco chuckled. Uncle Sev would be rolling in his grave if he knew an adorable pup shared his name.

“You thought you would never see me again,” Draco said.

“Well, what reason would there be for you to see me?” Potter asked. “Although, I probably should have known Kingsley would have done something like this.”

“Why would you want to see me at all?”

Potter turned to look at him, and there was something in his eyes that made Draco’s insides clench.

“We’re the same now.”

“I suppose we are.”

Draco told Potter that he wasn’t supposed to go back without him, and Potter calmly told him to make himself at home, because he wouldn’t be leaving for a while. Potter showed him the guest room, where Weasley and Granger usually stayed in when they visited.

“The pups can be troublemakers, but don’t let them bother you too much,” Potter said. “Raise your voice when they’re being naughty, and they will know they did something wrong.”

The Pup, as if knowing that his namesake was there, practically attached himself to Draco at all times of the day. Draco thought there might be truth in what Kingsley said, indeed. It was a nice change to be treated with affection and adoration for once.

“You’re quite adorable, aren’t you?” Draco asked as he scratched the pup’s ear. He was relaxing in his room (well, the guest room, but Potter said it was as good as his now), reading some books he hadn’t had the time to read yet, when The Pup entered his room and claimed ownership of his lap.

“Maybe that was the reason why I named him after you.”

Draco looked up and scowled at the man standing at the sill, although his hand never stopped scratching The Pup’s ear.

Potter grinned unrepentantly at him. “I’m cooking dinner soon. Steak and potatoes good?”

“Contrary to popular belief, I’m not picky,” Draco said as he flicked to the next page of his book. “And definitely not a rude, demanding guest.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Potter said, but his tone was teasing. “The others are looking for their littlest brother. Don’t say I didn’t warn you if the rest of the pups invade your room.”

When the rest of the pups did invade his room, he could only smile and watch them play. It was, by far, the best invasion he had experienced in his life.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

After a month spent at the cabin, Draco considered that there might be truth in what Kingsley said about dog therapy.

After the War had ended, his mother had sent him to several Mind Healers, but none of them were much successful in helping him cope with the stress and trauma of the War.

The pups, on the other hand, succeeded without trying much. He supposed it could be because the Mind Healers looked at him in contempt, while the pups looked at him with excitement and adoration. The Mind Healers made it obvious that they were there only because his mother paid them, while the pups only wanted him to play with them.

Of course, it also helped that Potter was courteous and, dare he say it, actually nice to him, although Draco believed he had no reason to be. Weasley and Granger had dropped by too, but not overnight, because there was no place for them. They didn’t seem all too surprised at him being there, which made him believe that one of them was the one who suggested that Draco go to the cabin.

He wasn’t sure what the reason was, but it might have been for shit and giggles for all he knew.

“You are such a troublemaker,” he said to Sirius, wagging his finger at him. The pup looked up at him with a happy grin, tail wagging furiously. “And yet I can’t get mad at you.”

“Join the club,” Potter commented from the side. “I’m just glad we’re wizards who can repair furniture quickly.”

Draco picked Sirius up and held the squirming pup in his arms. He walked back to the den, where the rest of the pups were, and settled him down there.

“Sirius, no,” Draco reprimanded when Sirius moved to go back to the kitchen. “Sirius!”

The pup stopped in its tracks and turned around to look at Draco with a pout, but when he saw the stern expression on Draco’s face, he whined and padded over to Draco, head-butting his hand.

“You know better than to go to the kitchen when it’s not meal time,” Draco said.

Sirius settled down around Draco’s feet, and he sighed before he bent down to pick the pup up again, holding him close.

Sirius liked human food the most, compared to his brothers. He would follow Draco and Potter to the kitchen whenever possible and beg for food. Draco saw Potter feeding Sirius pieces of ham and other bits of food occasionally, so he didn’t think too much of it when Sirius begged him for food when he was eating chocolate cake.

He only gave Sirius a tiny piece, but he was vomiting and trembling not long after.

When Potter came to the kitchen after hearing Draco’s distressed call, Draco was in tears and Sirius was trembling in his arms. Thankfully, Potter had learned a lot of healing spells for pets from before he adopted the pups, and managed to save Sirius. Since then, though, none of the pups were allowed in the kitchen aside from meal times.

“What am I supposed to do with you, you naughty pup?” Draco mused to himself.

He lied down on the rug in front of the fireplace, and the other pups joined him to form a puppy pile.

Well, Draco thought, it was as good a time for a nap as any.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

_Dear Mother,_

_I know I have not been attending the sessions you booked with the Mind Healers, but I am in no need of them anymore. I hope they refunded your money, at least partly. If they did not, well, you know better than to book more sessions with them._

_Kingsley sent me on a ‘mission’ to bring Potter back to civilisation, so currently I am staying with him and his pups in a cabin up in the mountain. It’s cold here, and the landscape is constantly covered in snow, but it’s an enjoyable change to what I am used to. It’s peaceful and quiet, and Potter does all the grocery shopping and stuff from the local village, so really, he’s not that far away from civilisation._

_I have attached a picture of myself with his pups. They are Muggle animals that look like crups. They are friendly, sometimes naughty, and incredibly loyal and affectionate. If you would like to visit us sometimes, I will talk to Potter about it._

_Rest assured that I am doing well, and I hope you are doing well too._

_The longer I spend here, the more I become reluctant to leave. Maybe Potter was onto something._

_Love,  
Draco_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

For a while, Draco had wondered where Potter got all the Muggle money from, especially since Potter mentioned that he didn’t touch any of his family’s money. It turned out that he was quite a good cook, and would always go to something that he called a farmer’s market to sell baked goods.

Draco, on the other hand, had started brewing potions and selling them under Potter’s name. He used the money earned to spoil the pups rotten, buying them toys and gourmet food, and costumes and coats.

“They have a better life than me,” Potter commented in amusement one day as Draco was struggling with getting the pups into their coats.

“It’s snowing outside,” Draco replied.

“You just think they look cute in the coats.”

“Shut up.”

“Well, I better not let you have all the fun,” Potter said as he put on a winter coat. “Come, I’ll take Fred and Sirius.”

The two pups bounded over towards him at the mention of their names, and sat quietly while Potter did up the last buttons of their coats.

“Traitor!”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

“This is barbaric.”

Potter burst out laughing. “I’m sure there are activities far more deserving of that title,” he said, holding onto the axe handle with both hands. “Plus, there is a satisfaction in building a fire with logs you cut yourself.”

“Did you ever forget that you are a wizard?” Draco asked as he furrowed his brows.

“Physical activity is good for your health,” Potter replied with a shrug. He swung the axe at the log and it broke off cleanly into smaller pieces.

“You sound like my mother, if she was a barbarian,” Draco said with a huff. The pups were all gathered around his feet, watching Potter chop the wood.

“And you look like a Disney princess, but you don’t hear me complaining about it.”

“I’m not a princess!” Draco complained, stomping his foot. “And what the heck is Disney anyway? Is it a region somewhere out there?”

Potter snorted but didn’t reply. He did teach Draco how to use the TV and the DVD player, and left the Disney movie collection out for him to watch.

Draco retaliated by charming Potter’s bed to bounce him out of it every time he settled down on it.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Three months later, they were finally on first name basis. The Pup would peek whenever he heard Harry saying Draco’s name, then walked off in disappointment when he realised Harry wasn’t talking to him.

It was also around that time that Draco began to wonder if this was Kingsley’s way of telling him that he had been dismissed as an Auror. Surely no mission should take this long, and he should have known a lost cause when he saw one.

He owled Kingsley about it, and Kingsley only said he did much better brewing potions, and that it was more in his element, so he could rethink his career path. Draco wondered how he knew about their side business, but then again, the Head Auror was quite nosy when he wanted to be.

Kingsley’s letter did make him wonder. It wasn’t that he did a horrible job as an Auror, but he had to agree that brewing potions was more of his forte. He only trained to be an Auror because Kingsley was the only one who would give him a chance. He also enjoyed his time in the cabin immensely, and he found out that he didn’t want to leave the pups.

“And you don’t want me to leave, do you?” Draco asked the puppy pile around him. They had grown, and Draco lamented the fact that soon they wouldn’t look as adorable. However, he would have the chance to buy new costumes for them to try.

The pile around him shifted to become on top of him, effectively trapping him underneath. He grinned, and took that as a ‘no’.

He wondered if the pups were magical after all. Sometimes it seemed as if they knew what Harry and he were talking about.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

“Do you like it here?” Harry asked one night as they were seated in the den, having dinner while watching TV.

Draco turned to look at him strangely. “Isn’t that something you should’ve asked, oh, I don’t know, five months ago?”

Harry chuckled. “That would have been too early,” he said.

“Six months and I’m still here, and you’re asking that question now?” Draco asked as he rolled his eyes. “Well, to answer your belated question, yes, I do like it here.”

“Good.”

“The pups more than made up for your presence,” Draco continued, but there was a grin on his face. “And I made up for his presence, right, my minions?”

The pups went on with playing their own version of chase the ball, ignoring the two humans on the couch. They had the tendency to do so when their humans were being silly.

“Well, there’s actually another reason I asked,” Harry said. “The weather report said there’s going to be a snowstorm tonight that won’t let up until the weekend. Afterwards, it might take a while for the snow to clear. I thought I should check to make sure you like staying in a place you’re going to be trapped in.”

“Ugh, this is why I told you to establish a Floo connection!”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

“Did you buy the grocery store?” Draco asked in surprise when he saw all the paper bags Harry walked in with. He had two huge bags in his hands, and a couple more floating behind him. “And why the heck are you carrying two of them if you’re levitating the rest? Trying to show off?”

Harry chuckled as he put the bags on the kitchen counter, and the rest of the bags followed. He started unpacking them, and Draco, despite himself, helped put them away in the fridge and pantry. He had been in the cabin long enough to know where everything was, and where they were supposed to be.

“It’s just a habit,” Harry said with a shrug. “I like living like a Muggle sometimes. It grounds me.”

Draco paused his inspection of an avocado and looked up at Harry. “You’re not taking advantage of anything,” he said. “Magic is rightfully yours.”

“I know,” Harry agreed. “But after living half my life without it, it still feels like a luxury. I want to keep that feeling. Isn’t that why you still insist on using magic for the simplest of tasks here? To ground you and remind you of where you come from?”

Draco put down the avocado and turned to look at Harry. It was as if he was seeing the other man for the first time. Ever since they first met way back then, he never thought about how different they were. True, they lived in the same world, and yet they were from two different worlds.

“Teach me,” Draco started, “everything about the ways of Muggle living.”

Harry turned to look at him questioningly.

“It’s an integral part of you, isn’t it?” Draco asked. “Well, you’ve been integrating well with my world, so um, I thought I should return the favour and at least learn about yours. Maybe then I can be a better part of that world.”

Harry grinned at that. “Well, quoting Little Mermaid is certainly a start.”

He was answered with a flying avocado to his face.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

“Is that a dog too? It doesn’t look like our dogs,” Draco commented one day as he watched a show about pet groomers. It was one of his latest obsessions, and Harry again stated that the pups had a better life than him, as Draco was now researching the best dog groomer around.

“That’s a different breed,” Harry answered. “It’s a poodle. These pups are huskies.”

“Oh.”

“And since when did you call them our dogs anyway?”

“Be grateful I don’t claim them as mine.”

Harry snorted. “Yes, Your Highness.”

Draco shot him a dirty look, but quickly smiled again when Remus looked up at him in question. It was just like a mother sending a father a death glare, but quickly being all smiley when the kids turned to look.

The ridiculousness of the situation made Harry laugh out loud, and the others looked at him as if he had finally lost his mind.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Draco did a double take when he saw the feast (there was no other way to describe it) in the kitchen. The pups were gathered around the table, tails wagging furiously in excitement, and Harry was putting the finishing touches to the dishes.

“Did I miss something?” Draco asked. “Are we spoiling the dogs? Are there ten more people coming for dinner? What is it?”

“I would invite ten people, but I’m not sure who you want to be here,” Harry said. “Come have a seat.”

“Really, Harry, did I miss something?” Draco asked even as he took a seat. The Pup clambered up to his lap and settled down there, facing the feast. The others whined and Harry helped them up into high chairs.

“It’s the anniversary of you coming here,” Harry answered. “The pups and I would like to celebrate that.”

Draco felt his throat constrict, and quickly cleared it. He wasn’t going to get emotional. His father would have had an aneurysm if he could see Draco now; an emotional, puppy-loving, wizard living like a Muggle most of the time.

Then again, why should he care about what his father thought? The last time he did, their entire family nearly died.

“I only came here because of a mission,” Draco replied finally, looking down at his plate. “It’s hardly a cause to celebrate.”

“True,” Harry agreed.

Draco frowned at that. Shouldn’t he have tried to argue with Draco a little at least?

“But did you stay because of a mission?”

Draco looked up at Harry, and at the pups that were looking at him expectantly.

“No,” he said firmly.

Harry smiled. “That’s all we need to know.”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

One and a half year since Draco arrived at the cabin, he sent Kingsley his formal resignation letter. A Potions Master who found out about Draco through Harry when he inquired about the potions had agreed to mentor Draco. Draco was supposed to go to Austria to study with him, but the Potions Master agreed to mentor him from a distance because Draco refused to leave the pups, even if only for a year.

It also had to do with the fact that when the pups saw Draco packing, they made a collective effort to ruin all of his luggage bags, but looked at him innocently when he asked them who chewed through his bags.

“They were never this needy with me,” Harry commented as he reined the pups in while Draco fixed his bags. The pups were yowling, but stopped when they saw Draco put away all the bags in the closet. “You spoil them too much.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Draco said with a huff. “Well, at least Master Edelstein agreed to teach me through letters and Floo. Oh, and yes, you now have no excuse not to set up a Floo connection. Get to it, lazy bones.”

“Ugh,” Harry grumbled, but left to get started anyway.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Years later, Draco stood staring at a framed picture of himself and Harry surrounded by their dogs. They weren’t pups anymore, and some of them had grown to be half Draco’s size (Draco the Pup had also been upgraded to Draco the Dog), while still believing that they were tiny pups. It caused a lot of mishaps and back pains, but nothing that a healing potion or magic couldn’t fix.

It was while he stared at the picture of him smiling happily that realisation hit him like the Hogwarts Express.

“Is this why Granger always calls us old married couple?” Draco asked when he saw Harry walk into the living room.

“She’s a Weasley now, remember.”

“That’s not the point, Harry,” Draco said as he rolled his eyes.

“Well,” Harry shrugged. “Maybe?”

Harry had taken Draco along to Weasley dinners and celebrations, and in time, he became part of the family too, which he was grateful for because he only had Aunt Andromeda and Teddy left nearby. He also realised that for the first time since he could remember, he was truly and genuinely happy, and maybe a little in love with Harry, the man who made him so.

That realisation came when he saw himself in the picture, laughing and smiling a smile that reached his eyes. He was so carefree, in a way he never was, even when he was still a child. There were no rules and no expectations in their household, only gentle (or not-so-gentle in Draco’s case) chiding when someone made a mistake.

Suddenly, Draco began laughing. Harry was looking at him as if he had just lost his marbles, and the dogs approached him in worry, too.

“This might sound crazy,” Draco started, “but I think I might be in love with you.”

Draco expected Harry to be surprised, confused, or even disgusted. Instead, Harry’s expression softened as he lifted a hand to cup Draco’s cheek gently.

“Then I have been crazy for a long time,” Harry said as he leaned forward, “and it took you long enough to join me in this insanity.”

Draco smiled as he leaned forward to close the distance between them, and the dogs started running around them while barking happily.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

_Dear Draco,_

_I suppose it is time that we apologise to you for tricking you._

_There has never been a mission to bring Harry back to civilisation. There was only the mission to make you happy, or at least, content, after the War. Head Auror Kingsley came up with the idea after Auror Weasley told him about Harry’s pups, and what his father called the ‘dog therapy’._

_Surprisingly, Harry was very cooperative when I owled him with this idea. Apparently, he had started caring for you since the ‘Bathroom Incident’, though I am unsure what that means. He also told me that one of his pups is named after you, so I thought it would do you great to live there with him for a while._

_I am glad to see you doing well, and know that whatever you choose to do with your life from here on in, I will support you unconditionally._

_It is, after all, time that you make your own decisions about your life._

_Love,  
Your Mother_

**Author's Note:**

> In case it wasn’t clear enough, when Draco asked why Harry named the pup after him, he was supposed to say “I’m still (alive)”, because the other ones were named after those who have passed.
> 
> Also, I hope the prompter doesn’t mind the twist at the end =)
> 
> Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. I certainly enjoyed writing the interaction between Draco and the pups. It was hard to build both relationships with Harry and the pups at the same time, and I felt like I was focusing more on the pups, so I hope this turns out okay. I know the ending seems a bit rushed with all the time skips, but I was running out of time (and ideas, to an extent), so again, hopefully, it didn’t feel like I was jumping to the end with no build up at all.
> 
> Thanks for reading! All comments are extremely welcome either here or on [Livejournal](http://hd-fan-fair.livejournal.com/116187.html).


End file.
